Topic of cancer: Chinese crystal-gaze new leaders

BEIJING: Four of the seven members of the Political Bureau Standing Committee of China's Communist Party, including the next president Xi Jinping and likely premier Li Keqiang, are born under the same zodiac sign of Cancer. This has led to intense speculation among ordinary Chinese and netizens about the kind of government they will provide.

Going by both zodiac and Chinese astrological systems, Xi and Li would not be seen as adventurous and big risk takers. Those who believe in astrological signs feel the fifth generation of rulers, slated to take charge in March, would be more cautious and less prone to adventure and possibly more receptive to the ideas of political dissidents.

It's not clear if the Dalai Lama studied astrological signs of the new set of Chinese leaders before making his recent statement expressing hope for the Tibet situation under Xi's rule.

"Now Hu Jintao's era (is the) past, now Xi Jinping is coming as president. I think there's no alternative except some political change, so political reform. Economy reform (is) already there," the Tibetan leader had said recently.

Xi is judged as a water snake under the Chinese astrological system, which allocates an animal symbol to the year of a person's birth. Water snakes are supposed to influential and insightful but they can be both moody and sulking.

Xi recently caused a stir vanishing from the public scene for over 10 days and not meeting visiting foreign leaders including the American secretary of state Hilary Clinton. No explanation was provided about the vanishing act although some suspect he was sulking following disagreements with some party leaders.

Putative premier Li was born in the year of the wood sheep. The Chinese system suggests that people born in this year tend to be compassionate and creative. "Their sincerity can be taken advantage of and wood sheep may get their feelings hurt by undeserving sympathy seekers," a Chinese horoscope website says.

The other two with Cancer signs are Liu Yunshan and Wang Qishan, ranked fifth and sixth in the hierarchy. Liu is born in the Chinese year of the boar and Wang in the year of rat. The third ranking Zhang Dejiang is a Scorpio and born in the year of dog while Yu Zhengsheng, ranked 4th, has the sign of Taurus (rooster under the Chinese system).